Rep. Graves Wants To Stop All EPA Rules

Rep. Sam Graves, a Republican from Missouri, filed a bill on Wednesday to stop all environmental regulations mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency until all of its current policies can be thoroughly reviewed, The Hill reports.

The proposed bill, entitled the “Stop The EPA Act,” would stop the EPA from developing new rules and regulations and would halt all current policies developed by the agency. It would also require congressional approval on all regulations that cost more than $50 billion, including past rules.

Grave introduced the bill after EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy visited his home district to talk to farmers about the agency’s new Waters of the United States rule. McCarthy told reporters after her visit that the farmers concerns over the rule were “ludicrous” and “just silly,” comments that infuriated Graves.

“Administrator McCarthy and the EPA will soon find out that Washington bureaucrats are becoming far too aggressive in attacking our way of life,” Graves said in a statement. “Administrator McCarthy should be apologizing to Missourians. EPA aggression has reached an all-time high, and now it must be stopped.”

“Congressman Graves’ proposal makes a lot of sense — put a brake on the agency’s regulatory agenda, review regulations already in effect and ultimately stop the end-run around Congress” said Blake Hurst, the Missouri Farm Bureau President. Graves also accused McCarthy of visiting Missouri to push Obama’s “radical” stance on farmers and the environment.

“When the EPA says that property owners, farmers, and livestock producers must stomach higher costs, longer delays, and bigger headaches, it’s up to Congress to put up a roadblock” said Graves.